Flaky dough meets creamy and flavorful mashed potato & onion filling for a delicious combination. These vegan potato knishes are great for a party!
Knishes always bring me back to my grandmother Goldie's kitchen in Winnipeg. She was famous for her savory, satisfying knishes, which had flaky golden crust and creamy potato filling.
Knishes are traditionally composed of a potato or cheese filling enrobed in a flaky pastry dough. They were brought to the US by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and were once a very popular street food.
While they're a bit harder to find today, I think potato knishes deserve to make a comeback! These vegan potato knishes are a great snack, appetizer, or side dish, can be customized with different fillings, and are straightforward to make.
This potato knish recipe updates Goldie's traditional recipe to use aquafaba (chickpea liquid) instead of eggs and replaces dairy ingredients in the mashed potatoes with non-dairy milk and butter. Scroll down for details on how to collect the aquafaba. (Need something to do with the chickpeas after you've collected the aquafaba? Check out my recipe for Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas!)
How to Make Goldie's Vegan Potato Knishes
Gather your ingredients.
Make the Knish Dough
Whip the aquafaba until thoroughly foamy, then set aside.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the non-dairy butter using a pastry blender or two knives. It's okay if some small pieces of butter remain (this will add to the flakiness of the dough).
Add the water to the whipped aquafaba and beat to combine, then add this mixture to the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be very sticky and wet, but it should come together in a loose ball. If it seems too liquidy, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
Make the Potato & Onion Filling
Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion and garlic on low-medium heat. If the onion starts to brown too quickly, you can deglaze the pan by adding about 1 tablespoon of water and gathering up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Also, adjust the heat as needed.
Drain the potatoes, mash, and then add the non-dairy milk and non-dairy butter. Stir until the mixture is well combined and has a smooth, creamy texture. Fold the onions and garlic into the mashed potatoes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge while the knish dough rests (cold filling will be easier to work with when you are ready to assemble the knishes).
Assemble and Bake the Potato Knishes
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the knish dough out onto a generously floured surface and turn it over a few times to coat with flour. Roll the knish dough out into a large rectangle; add flour as needed.
Divide the dough into two long rectangles. Place five portions of potato-onion filling, each about two tablespoons' worth, across each rectangle of dough. Leave at least a ½-inch in between each scoop of filling.
Cut the dough in between the scoops of filling, so that you now have 10 pieces of dough. Gently roll the first piece of dough toward you, around the filling, carefully stretching the dough so that one edge of it overlaps the other, and seal it with your fingers. Twist one end of dough, and then the other, and then turn upright. Repeat for the remaining nine knishes.
Place the potato knishes on the baking sheet and brush the top of each knish lightly with olive oil (you also have the option to brush again halfway through baking). Bake for 26-30 minutes, until the knishes are golden brown. Allow the vegan potato knishes to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before serving.
How to Collect the Aquafaba
To obtain the aquafaba, you can either drain the liquid (this part is the aquafaba!) from a can of chickpeas (then set the chickpeas aside and use them for another purpose, such as my Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas), or use the liquid from cooking dried chickpeas (try the method outlined by TastingTable here).
Storage
Store the baked potato knishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. For best results, reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes. Knishes may also be frozen for up to 2-3 months; reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes. When reheating, cover with foil as needed to prevent the outsides from browning too much.
Goldie's Vegan Potato Knishes
Ingredients
Knish Dough
- 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy butter, cubed
- ½ cup water
Potato & Onion Filling
- 1.5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup non-dairy butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the knish dough. Add the aquafaba to a small bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the aquafaba until it is thoroughly foamy (about 1 minute). Set aside.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the non-dairy butter to the dry ingredients and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The ingredients should be well integrated, but it's okay if some small pieces of butter remain - this will make the knishes flakier!
- Add the water to the whipped aquafaba and beat with the hand mixer to combine. Add the aquafaba-water mixture to the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky and wet, but it should come together in a very loose ball.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Make the filling. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with about 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, warm the olive oil in a skillet over low-medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and saute for about 15 minutes. If the onion starts to brown too quickly, you can deglaze the pan by adding about 1 tablespoon of water.
- Drain the water and place the potatoes in a heat-safe bowl. Mash with a potato masher, then add the non-dairy milk and non-dairy butter and stir until the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are well-combined. The mashed potatoes should have a creamy, smooth texture.
- Add the sauteed onions and garlic to the mashed potatoes, and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge while the dough rests.
- Assemble the knishes. After two hours or when you are ready to assemble the knishes, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the knish dough out onto a generously floured surface and turn it over a few times to coat with flour. Roll the floured dough out into a large rectangle, sprinkling flour as needed if the dough feels sticky.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into two long rectangles, cutting from left to right as you are facing the dough. Place five portions of potato-onion filling, each about two tablespoons' worth, across each rectangle of dough. There should be at least a ½-inch in between each scoop of filling.
- Use your knife or bench scraper to cut the dough in between the scoops of filling, so that you now have 10 pieces of dough, each with a scoop of filling. Gently roll the first piece of dough around the filling, from top to bottom, sealing the edge with your fingers. Twist one end of dough, and then the other, and then turn upright; the top and bottom of the knish should now be sealed. Repeat this process for the remaining nine knishes.
- Bake the knishes. Place the knishes on the parchment-lined baking sheet, then brush the top of each knish lightly with olive oil. Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until the knishes are golden brown. If desired, brush with additional olive oil halfway through.
- Allow the knishes to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Knishes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. For best results, reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.
- To obtain the aquafaba, drain the liquid (this part is the aquafaba!) from a can of chickpeas, then set the chickpeas aside and use them for another purpose.
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